Written based on 9 research studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026.
The claim
Posts online say that CBD (cannabidiol) helps with rheumatoid arthritis.
Where research stands
We found 10 published papers on CBD (cannabidiol) and rheumatoid arthritis in PubMed. They were published between 2011 and 2026. None of them is a study in people. 7 were studies in animals, and 1 was only in cells in the lab. 1 paper is a review that sums up other studies.
- 0In people
- 7In animals
- 1Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
CBD (cannabidiol) has been studied for rheumatoid arthritis in animals, not yet in people.
Unproven means: it was only tested in animals or cells, or there is too little or mixed data from people. How we rate claims
What this means for you: Results in animals or in cells often do not hold in people. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Cannabidiol as an emergent therapeutic strategy for lessening the impact of inflammation on oxidative stress.2011 · Free Radic Biol Med · Review
- Ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation of HIF-1α by cannabidiol disrupts pro-angiogenic synoviocyte-endothelial crosstalk in rheumatoid arthritis.2026 · Phytomedicine · In animals
- Comment on "cannabidiol synergizes with methotrexate to attenuate rheumatoid arthritis via STAT3/NF-κB signalling-mediated M1 macrophage polarization".2026 · Int Immunopharmacol · In animals
- Cannabidiol synergizes with methotrexate to attenuate rheumatoid arthritis via STAT3/NF-κB signalling-mediated M1 macrophage polarization.2026 · Int Immunopharmacol · In animals
- High CBD extract (CBD-X) modulates inflammation and immune cell activity in rheumatoid arthritis.2025 · Front Immunol · In animals
- Cannabidiol regulates L-carnitine and butyric acid metabolism by modulating the gut microbiota to ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis.2025 · Phytomedicine · In animals
- Application of Oil-in-Water Cannabidiol Emulsion for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.2024 · Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · In animals
- Cannabidiol (CBD): a killer for inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.2020 · Cell Death Dis · In the lab
- Efficacy and safety of cannabidiol followed by an open label add-on of tetrahydrocannabinol for the treatment of chronic pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis: protocol for a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled study.2019 · BMJ Open · Other paper
